In Western culture, One Thousand and One Nights is as widely known as the National Geographic brand. Also referred to as Tales From the Arabian Nights, this collection of Arab folktales is a consistent source of inspiration in my practice. It is often the prime example of the framed story structure in any literature class, though my first introduction to Scheherazade was through an historical fiction book by Susan Fletcher. A few years after reading Shadow Spinner in my early tweens, I picked up an illustrated version of Arabian Nights from my local Half-Price bookstore and used it in my high school portfolio class as an altered sketchbook. While collaging my way through the book, I found myself engrossed in each story; the imagery I drew became a direct reflection of each folktale I read.
Fast-forward to 2017, when I rented my first studio and was exploring ways to push my textile practice in new directions. I began using an abstract expressionist technique with some magazines I had lying around, layering bits of paper on unstretched canvas as a nod to crazy quilting. The result was magnificent—a four foot by six foot relief sculpture with a seemingly endless depth of field. I decided to call her “Scheherazade,” a storied piece with much to tell. She debuted at a local museum group exhibition, and I’ve been hooked ever since.
Around the same time, I had begun collecting secondhand materials from fellow artists: yarn scraps, fabric pieces, and stacks of books and magazines. Taking inventory of all my amassed items, I realized just how many National Geographic magazines I had in my possession (enough to start a series!), thus a tiny seed was planted for a future Scheherazade-type project. After several prototypes and a few studios later, I am thrilled to begin my first artistic research project that commemorates not only my first collage piece, but the eponymous storyteller as well.
It probably goes without saying that The Scheherazade Project is part of an ongoing exploration of my Arab-American identity, aiming to question Orientalist systems of Arab representation in Western media. I hope to offer new ways to physically and metaphorically look at history, reversing colonial perspectives deeply rooted in U.S. visual media. The project as a whole invites viewers to see media representations as constructed stories; fractured truths told through biased perspectives. We must be mindful and more discerning of our media consumption, especially since we are constantly overwhelmed by information and daily news updates.
As I begin this project, I hope to provide updates and insight I come across in my research process. It is thrilling to finally share thoughts on something that has been in the works for several years, and I am excited to finally dedicate time to such an important project.